Lamonte Thompson and Chris Coffey are running backs for the Lions and are good friends off the field, they said.

Coffey is a senior running back from Decatur, and a product of Decatur High School.

Coffey said one of his favorite memories was during his freshman and sophomore years.

“My redshirt freshman year, I scored three touchdowns in the first round of the playoffs,” he said. “Then the next season I helped the team make back-to-back trips to the playoffs.”  

Coffey earned conference freshman of the year in 2010.

Thompson runs in the backfield with Coffey and is in his sophomore year with the Lions.

Thomspon rushed for 690 yards, which is 10 yards short of the UNA freshman record.

Being 10 yards shy of breaking the freshman record at UNA has been and being named freshman of the year were two of the best moments of his career, he said.

One of the best team moments he was part of was the Delta State game last season, where he helped start the comeback win with a big run, he said.

Coffey describes Thompson as “the speed of the offense,” while Thompson said Coffey was “the power back of the offense.”

Both backs have a great friendship off the field, which makes the chemistry on the field and at practice even better, they said. They said they can be compared to the former Auburn University running back duo Carnell “Cadillac” Williams & Ronnie Brown, who combined to rush for 2,078 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2004.

Both said they have backs in the NFL they looked up too. Thompson said he looks up to Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson.

“CJ2K’s (Chris Johnson’s) quickness and speed is what I pattern my game after,” he said. “How he can be trotting, then out of no where he can take off.”

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is a personal hero, Coffey said.

“With Rice, he is the total package,” he said. “He runs hard and low to the ground, catches out the backfield and is a great blocker and great leader.”

Coffey had 47 yards and a touchdown on eight carries for the Lions against Miles College on Sept. 5.

Thompson was named Gulf South Conference (GSC) Player of the Week after his week-one performance against Miles. He rushed for 189 yards on 14 carries and made a 69-yard run that was displayed on ESPN’s “Plays of the Day” for Sept. 5.

The duo and the rest of Lions play Jacksonville State University Saturday, Sept. 14 in Jacksonville, Ala.